I RETURN you many thanks for your letter. Just before I received it I was thinking of you, and to tell you the truth, with some fear, (occasioned by your long absence) either that you were grown cold to me, or, what was infinitely worse, were grown cold to the ways of God. But your letter dispelled all my fears, and I rejoice and give thanks to our heavenly Father for his great and manifold mercies to your soul!――I wish I could have seen you often in your last illness, but that you know was impossible: however, the small time I was with you gave me the utmost satisfaction, and I cannot be enough sensible of the goodness of my God, that I (weak and unworthy as I am) should be made an instrument of such increase of comfort to you. Had you then died, you would doubtless now be singing praises to God and the Lamb; but as you are suffered to continue longer upon earth, it is to this end, that you should approve yourself a faithful servant to God, in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation, that you should shine as a light in the world, and by spending yourself in the service of God here, increase your capacity of happiness hereafter. God is merciful to you in a peculiar manner. To be kept as you are, when so much engaged in business, and with so few opportunities of attending the means of grace, calls for the utmost gratitude; therefore let no occasion pass of shewing your love to that Redeemer, who has thus saved you from sin and the love of the world. All you can do, is by far too small a return for such unbounded goodness. Your present state of mind is a glorious and happy one indeed; but suffer not yourself to be off your watch for one moment, for Satan is always watching to hurt a soul that is thus happily escaped from his snare. But your certain help lies in Christ; keep therefore the eye of the mind fixed upon him, and you will still go on conquering, and to conquer.
_I am, your ever-affectionate friend_,
****
_Sunday, December 8, 1754._
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_My dear ****_,
I AM delighted with the rules you have laid down for your conduct: you must constantly look up to God for grace and strength faithfully to practise them. I rejoice in your love to your Redeemer; and be assured, the longer you live, the more you will be convinced, that this is your only sure refuge and lasting happiness. *In regard to your going so often to ****, take the following advice; shun, as you would poison, every thing that you find a means of making you less alive to God. Life is short. We have a great work to do, and God only knows how few of those hours, which are ever on the wing, may be given us to do it in. Therefore lose not a moment! Remember a Christian cannot stand still; he must go either forwards or backwards; and if you have not made some advances toward heaven since the clock struck last, you have gone back towards the contrary road. Keep this constantly in your mind, particularly in your visits.――May the peace and love of God be ever with you, and fail not to remember at the throne ♦of grace,
_Your ever-affectionate friend_,
****
_November 27, 1755._
♦ duplicate word “of” removed
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To Miss ****.
_Sunday Morning._
_My dear Friend_,
I HAVE just time enough to wish that your soul may this day prosper, and that God may be found by you in all his ordinances. Oh that his love may be more and more shed abroad in your heart! And this it certainly will be, if you walk closely with him, and suffer not your imagination to lead you from your only true happiness. Oh strive continually after a constant recollection, and communion with God.――I know the unprofitable manner in which you will be employed this afternoon; but this need not hinder your heart from being with your Saviour; he will support and comfort you.――Take care that you run not into making observations, either on the persons, manners, or dress of your visitors: four young ladies in a house together, are in the utmost danger from this sin: and depend upon it, it is as contrary to Christian love as lying or stealing. _Adieu._
****
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_My dear friend_,